


Clan of Children

by CuteCat



Category: Warrior Cats - Fandom, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Bad Naming Skills, Gen, How Do I Tag, Nobody is old enough for this, Original Cat Clans (Warriors), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Starstar is trying his best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26066848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CuteCat/pseuds/CuteCat
Summary: After the two-legs destroy their camp and steal most of their clan, the newly minted warrior Starpelt finds himself in charge of the few cats who remain. Only problem is, they're nearly all kits and apprentices... And Starpelt is a lazy cat who is not great at responsibility. Or strategy. Also he has stage fright.In fact, there are a lot of problems with this situation.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 27





	1. Poppy's Prophecy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first published fic, and it's a story born from a joke about bad cat names. Updates will be sporadic, and it may take a few chapters for the comedic parts to kick in, but I hope you enjoy the story anyway!
> 
> Art of the cats involved can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/1HwVDQ5  
> The art may update to reflect name changes and such, so be aware of spoilers!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we don't actually follow the main character, as is customary of Warrior Cats prologues.

"There's no such thing as Starclan."

Poppypaw's fur fluffed up with anger. To hear such words from a medicine cat of all things! "It's true! A great calamity is going to happen, and it's happening SOON!"

Whisperfern turned away, returning to his herbs. Frustration churned in Poppypaw's stomach; as if discarding her words wasn't enough, now he couldn't even meet her gaze! Even if he didn't believe in Starclan, as her mentor, he should believe in _her!_

"Here." Some of Poppypaw's anger dissipated as a pawful of seeds were pushed in front of her, Whisperfern watching her with a mixture of care and pity. Poppy seeds. "Take these before you sleep. These nightmares of yours don't do anyone good; your predictions make the others in camp uneasy."

_Nightmares!_

Poppypaw spun and half ran out of the den, the frustration coming back full force. _This is all Starclan's fault!_ she thought. _How am I supposed to warn anyone when Starclan decided to fade into obscurity?! Maybe if they had said ANYTHING in the past few years --_

She ground to a halt, barely avoiding a white, thick-furred cat near the den's entrance. Snowheart took a step back, eyes filled with gentle concern. "Poppypaw? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Poppypaw muttered, sitting down and beginning to smooth out her ginger fur. Even if Snowheart was kind, she wouldn't be able to believe in the prophecy any more than the others. Ever since the clan moved out of the forest, Starclan had become little more than a bedtime story for kits - who believed in that?

"I understand," said the she-cat, rasping her tongue over Poppypaw's fur and helping her smooth the parts she could not quite manage herself. It was entirely unexpected, but not all that unappreciated - the fur on her flanks and neck liked to bunch up. "I won't pry, but... Do try to make up when you can. Nobody is happy when an apprentice and her mentor fights."

Poppypaw sighed. That wasn't EXACTLY the issue at hand, but it was probably the closest she could get, so she just nodded. "I will."

"Poppypaw! Poppypaw!"

Her attention was drawn toward the nursery as a black kit ran over, stumbling over her own paws. "Is it true?!" the kit cried not with dread, but with sparkling excitement. "Are the two-legs gonna come take our camp away?!"

As Snowheart politely backed off, allowing the two to talk, Poppyseed came to a realization. Not everyone thought Starclan was a fairy tale. Even if she couldn't save all of the clan's cats from this calamity, there were cats she COULD save.

And she would save as many as she possibly could.


	2. Wake up, Sleepyhead!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starpelt gets up before noon for once, and then wishes he didn't.

"Wake up. Are you trying to hibernate?"

Starpelt let out a content _mrr_ , stretching lazily as he rolled over, only to yelp as a paw was shoved into his shoulder.

"Come on. It's almost sunhigh, we're gonna leave without you."

"Wha-?" The black warrior flinched awake at once, staring up at the broad-shouldered tabby beside him. "Already?!"

Rushing to his paws without even taking the time to stretch Starpelt hurried out of the warrior's den, ready to be chided, only to find that the sun was only barely above the horizon. "What... Sundrown, it's nowhere near sunhigh."

The tabby grinned as he padded up beside his friend, unable to keep a hint of amusement from his voice. "Well, to Mousepaw it may as well be. He's been raring to go since the first hint of dawn."

Sundrown indicated the edge of camp with a nod, where a tiny, mottled gray cat paced in place. Starpelt avoided the apprentice's gaze as he stretched to loosen his sleep-stiff limbs. Mousepaw was small even compared to other apprentices, but he made up for it with a ferocity Starpelt would rather not face on an empty stomach.

"Do you think he'll manage a couple more minutes?" he mumbled as he padded toward the fresh-kill pile, picking out a field mouse. As he settled to eat he looked around; the rest of camp was also waking, it seemed, with some even having left for their patrols.

Calmstar was sitting proud and tall on the logs that served as her podium, the rising sun giving her white pelt an almost ethereal quality. She gave Starpelt a courteous nod and a 'good morning' as he met her gaze, and he nodded in turn.

Snowheart, with fur as white as Calmstar's but twice as thick, was checking on the elders, and at the medicine den he caught a glimpse of Poppypaw's rust-and-soot-colored pelt. At the nursery, Honeypatch was stalling on his duties in favor of doting on his mate's newborn kits, while one of the other kits harassed his apprentice Cobpaw for a spot on their patrol.

_They're gonna get_ _scold_ _ed again,_ Starpelt thought as he swallowed the last of his mouse, giving his pelt a quick groom and standing.

"Mousepaw!" Poppypaw called from the medicine cat's den, bounding toward where the gray apprentice was waiting with Sundrown. Mousepaw broke away from his mentor to meet her halfway, and the two began to speak in quiet voices.

"I wonder what that's about?" Starpelt asked as he walked over to sit beside his friend.

"Herbs, maybe," the tabby suggested.

"Maybe." Not that Starpelt could imagine Mousepaw agreeing to collect plants. Still, the apprentice did show uncharacteristic interest, and ... "Does Poppypaw seem happier to you?"

"Yeah." Sundrown nodded subtly. "I'm glad to see it, she's been much too stressed lately."

"Right, the predictions." Even though he should know better, some part of Starpelt couldn't help but wonder if a calamity really would take place. Starclan was a fairytale, but fairytales had to be based on something, and a young medicine cat's apprentice shouldn't have so many nightmares. He kneaded at the grass below his paws, tempted to ask Sundrown about if his thoughts held merit.

Not wanting to be called immature, he decided against it and shook the thought off as Mousepaw came back. If Poppypaw had given up on the prophecy, then there was no reason to worry about anything except for their hunting patrol.

* * *

"I miss being an apprentice," Starpelt replied wistfully. "It was a lot easier."

"You've only been a warrior for one moon," Sundrown replied. "And besides, _you're_ the one who wanted to help me train him."

"No I wasn't, you're the one who suggested it!"

"Only because you looked like all the fresh-kill in camp had suddenly disappeared. What was I supposed to do?"

Sunhigh had come and gone, and what was meant to be a quick hunting trip to the forest bordering the fields had dragged out beyond belief. Neither of them knew what had gotten into Mousepaw -- on the way out he had been his usual self, eager to prove himself the most capable cat in the clan, but as soon as they reached the trees it was as though his brain had turned off.

"Hurry up!" Sundrown called as Mousepaw trailed behind to check the forest border for the fifth time. The apprentice called back something about berries and disappeared between the trees. "I swear, it's like he's _trying_ to waste time."

Starpelt had to agree. They had scarcely caught anything because of Mousepaw scaring the prey, and the apprentice seemed intent on scanning every bush for herbs. If he didn't know better, he'd think they had brought the wrong cat.

"Maybe you did something to upset him?"

"Of course not."

"Maybe he's mad you make him wait for me to get up."

Sundrown huffed, looking at the clouds as he thought. "Doubt it, he'd confront me directly about that. He's not the passive-aggressive type."

"That's true." Mousepaw remained nowhere to be seen, and Starpelt began to feel uneasy. Even the rustling of leaves had stopped. "... Do you think he's okay?"

Sundrown had already turned back to fetch the apprentice and was halfway there when Mousepaw finally appeared out of the underbrush, proudly holding a squirrel in his jaws.

"I thought you were looking for berries," the tabby grumbled.

"This is better," Mousepaw replied confidently, the words somewhat muffled by his prey.

"Well, great. Let's hope we can feed the whole clan on just one squirrel."

Mousepaw's eyes narrowed and his tail flicked, but to Starpelt's surprise he didn't argue the matter and instead held his head high as he trotted past his mentor. Sundrown sighed and followed. "Just try to stay focused."

For a moment, Starpelt swore he saw Mousepaw glance to the sun before agreeing.

"Maybe we should get back to camp," Starpelt suggested as the two caught up. "We've been here for ages."

"With just a mouse and a squirrel? We'll be a laughing stock," Sundrown pointed out.

"If we stay out to hunt any longer, we won't get back until the sun's down!"

The tabby considered it for a moment, then sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It can't be helped. We'll catch what we find on the way back, and make up for it tomorrow."

The thought of another early morning was far from appealing, but Starpelt wasn't going to argue against anything that would end this disaster of a patrol, so he just nodded. "Deal."

Thankfully, Mousepaw seemed to recover his brain when he caught that squirrel, and the trio was able to snag two more mice on the way. Starpelt looked forward to stretching out in the grass and taking a nap, but as they drew closer to camp, his expectations sank into a cold pit in his stomach.

Something was wrong. He couldn't see any cats and the air was thick with the stench of two-legs and monsters. Without realizing, Starpelt’s steps quickened until he sprinted into the camp at full speed, looking around in breathless horror.

Everything lay in ruins. The bushes that sheltered their dens had been ripped apart and two-leg pawprints covered the ground, clumps of grass torn up from battle.

Poppypaw's prophecies had come true. Two-legs had stolen their clan!


	3. Bush full of Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there's no camp to return to, but a lot of homeless kids.

The other two caught up before long. Sundrown slowed to a stop, eyes wide as he surveyed the destroyed nests, not saying a word. Mousepaw walked carefully, as though the ground itself would shatter beneath his paws, investigating with something more akin to awe than horror.

"Poppypaw," the apprentice called, his voice no louder than a breath.

Starpelt said nothing, his claws digging into the soil just to keep himself standing.

_They're gone,_ he wanted to wail, _everyone's gone and there's only us left._

"What do we do?" Sundrown asked, having padded up to Starpelt's side without his notice. The tabby's eyes seemed distant, watching Mousepaw without looking at him, yet clouded with concern. Starpelt had no answer.

_We're all alone, we're all alone, everyone's gone._

"Poppypaw?" Mousepaw called again, peering into the medicine cat's den. Starpelt wanted to cry out to him, say nobody was there, but the words caught in his throat as he realized.

Mousepaw had never been close to Poppypaw. Not really. The reason why he was calling her instead of anyone else must be because ...

"She knew," he whispered.

Sundrown looked to him, for a moment brought back to the present. "What?"

"Poppypaw knew," Starpelt repeated, his limbs stiff but slowly unlocking as he took a few steps forward. He spun to face Sundrown, heart beating as fast as a rabbit's. "She could have escaped the attack!"

"But that's ..." Sundrown began, faltering. Starpelt didn't know what he planned to say, but it didn't matter - Poppypaw was somewhere, and they had to find her. Running further into camp, Starpelt looked around and cried her name.

"Poppypaw! Hey!? Anyone!?"

"Quiet down, you mouse-brain!" protested Sundrown, rushing up to his side. "You'll call the two-legs back upon us!"

"But -!"

"Starpelt!" cried a new voice, and both cats stopped. A familiar rust-and-soot pelt was hurtling down the nearby slope toward them.

"POPPYPAW!" Starpelt yowled and rushed forward to meet the medicine apprentice, his heart flooding with relief.

"I'm so glad you made it," Poppypaw purred, letting Starpelt nuzzle her fur until he was satisfied. She was unharmed and free from the stink of human or monster, only carrying the sweet scents of herbs and other cats.

Sundrown padded up next to them, not as touchy-feely as his friend, while Mousepaw extracted himself from the medicine den and proudly trotted over with both head and tail held high as he spoke. "Told you I'd do it."

"Yes, thank you," Poppypaw nodded before looking between the other cats. "It's not safe here, we can talk up on the hill. Just let me get some herbs."

Starpelt felt slightly disappointed by the realization that it was a herb run, not his cries, that had brought the apprentice back. It was an easy enough feeling to ignore, however, eclipsed by the knowledge that not everyone had been lost after all.

* * *

Only two cats were needed to carry the herbs, so Starpelt and Mousebile ended up carrying fresh-kill as they climbed up the hill near camp, lead by Poppypaw's thin frame. Her fur stood out in messy clumps - she'd smooth it out later, she insisted, once they were safe - and her pace was hurried, vanishing from sight as soon as she reached the top of the slope.

Starpelt was second to reach the top, nearly toppling backwards as a black-and-white kit appeared in his face.

"You made it!" she cried triumphantly, yellow eyes shining as she hopped in place.

"Moonkit?!" Starpelt yelped, dropping his fresh-kill almost on top of the kit. Moonkit smiled brightly, bouncing away a few steps toward a set of thin shrubs and bushes before stopping and looking back at him.

"Come on!" she called, then vanished in among the leaves.

Gathering his fresh-kill back up, Starpelt followed - only to stop once more, eyes widening, as he saw what was hidden among the foliage.

It wasn't just Poppypaw and Moonkit who had escaped. No, half a dozen cats were hidden among the leaves, almost all of them children.

Sundrown and Mousepaw caught up in seconds, peering through the entrance. Poppypaw had dropped off her herbs outside, and there was a small pile of fresh-kill pilfered from the camp tucked into a corner, but almost all the remaining space was taken up by cats. Cobpaw, the dark gray apprentice who had been with Honeypatch at the nursery, was half-curled around and soothing a round, pale tabby kit. Leafpaw, a white she-cat with brown spots, was trading places with Poppypaw so that she could check on a gray, fluffy pile of a cat.

"Chilltail? Ugh, why couldn't it be Snowheart?" Mousepaw asked under his breath, earning him a paw to the head (courtesy of Sundrown). Starpelt frowned. Though they were sisters, Snowheart and Chilltail were like day and night. Unlike Snowheart's pure white pelt, Chilltail's fur was a pale gray with only the tail being white. Where Snowheart was kind and inviting, Chilltail was grumpy and strict.

Getting pregnant and giving birth had only worsened her mood, but right now Chilltail was barely moving at all, just lying slumped together and slowly breathing.

A sudden thought made Starpelt's heart sink into his stomach. He slowly crawled into the shelter, brushing past cats as he inched closer until he could get a clear look at Chilltail. Sleeping huddled against her side were two tiny furballs, one white and one orange.

The black warrior let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Thank god, her kits were safe. Now standing right beside Poppypaw, though, he felt he had to say something. "... Are these all the cats that escaped?"

Poppypaw nodded, raising her head to face him. "I saved as many as I could."

"We helped too!" Moonkit cried excitedly nearby, the black-and-white kitten bouncing like she was trying to take flight. "Poppypaw said and Leafpaw said to help them out and hide up here where the two-legs wouldn't see us, and then I realized 'wait!' and asked about grumpy Chilltail's kits because it's not right if we leave them just 'cuz they're too small and need milk still, so me an' Greenkit smuggled them out of camp while nobody was looking too! An' then Chilltail sniffed us out and was super mad, and she was going to take them back, but the two-legs attacked right when she was lecturing us an'-"

Leafpaw's thin tail brushed across the kit's muzzle, silencing her. "This isn't the right place," she cautioned, motioning for Chilltail's sleeping body.

"Oh, right."

Starpelt carefully began to back out, grimacing at how difficult it was not to get in the way. The bushes were much too small to harbor nine cats, especially when there were newborn kits to watch out for.

"Where's Lizardpaw?" Mousepaw asked suddenly, and Starpelt paused. He did a headcount; all of the clan's apprentices and kits were gathered, aside from Lizardpaw.

"He was taken," Poppypaw murmured, ears flattening. "He refused my idea, and said he'd fight for his clan."

"... So it's just me and Cobpaw?"

Mousepaw slumped to a sit, and Starpelt gingerly stepped around him as he left the shelter. He didn't know how to comfort the apprentice, or if he even needed comforting – Mousepaw and Lizardpaw had been rivals more than brothers.

The ground felt surprisingly unsteady as he stepped into the breeze, and Starpelt suddenly found himself leaning on Sundrown.

"Woah, you okay?" the tabby asked as he helped him to a sit. Starpelt stared down at his paws, which were quivering.

"I ... thought so?"

Sundrown sighed sympathetically. "We need rest, all of us."

Normally, lying down and sleeping away the rest of the afternoon was a welcome prospect, but right now it didn't feel right. Starpelt shook his head. "I'm fine, honest."

The quirked eyebrow Sundrown gave him was enough to make him second-guess himself. "... What?"

"Now I _know_ you're not okay."

"Well, I can't exactly take a nap in good conscience right now," Starpelt defended himself. "I think it's just sinking in."

There was a rustle behind them as Poppypaw pushed her way out of the shelter, pausing as she took in the sight of the two warriors. "Are you alright?"

"Starpelt seems somewhat in shock," Sundrown said. Starpelt wanted to cuff him behind the ears.

"I'm _fine_ ," he protested. Poppypaw nevertheless picked out a poppy seed from her stockpile and held it to him, so he begrudgingly licked it up.

A moment passed in silence as the three sat there, each waiting for someone else to speak.

"... What do we _do?"_


	4. Ask the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone's got ideas but none of them are compatible.

"Shouldn't Chilltail be here for this?"

As things had calmed down, everyone had gathered outside of the shrub hideout to discuss their options. The only ones absent were Cobpaw, who had opted to instead watch over the kits, and Chilltail who had yet to wake up.

"She can't," Poppypaw said with a hint of awkwardness. "We could barely stop her from fighting the two-legs. She was in so much shock, I gave her poppy seeds to help her stay calm."

She ran a paw over her ear, glancing aside. "A... _lot_ of poppy seeds."

"Oh." Starpelt blinked, looking up at the slowly setting sun. "That explains a lot."

"Like why she didn't bite anyone's ear off for talking too loud," Mousepaw added disdainfully. The gray apprentice had handled the apparent loss of his brother-slash-rival Lizardpaw surprisingly well, but even Starpelt could tell there was frustration gnawing at him like ticks in his pelt.

As Mousepaw's part-time assistant mentor, Starpelt had decided this situation was Sundrown's responsibility.

"The question remains what we should do," said Sundrown, trying to keep things on track. "We can't all stay here, the two-legs may come back for a second sweep and there's not enough shelter to hide us all."

"There's not many places we can go," Leafpaw pointed out gently. "Those forest cats will tear our tails off, and the city's just more two-legs."

_It'd be easy if Calmstar was still here,_ Starpelt thought as he folded his paws under himself. She was always so composed, ready with a solution or course of action. They needed some kind of guidance, but the only cat around older than fourteen moons was Chilltail (who was twenty-eight-or-so moons old) and she wasn't available.

The cats around him discussed their options, but nobody was making any progress. Mousepaw wanted to go after the two-legs and rescue their clan at once, while Leafpaw was more concerned with the safety of the kits and Sundrown wanted to search for a new home. Poppypaw voiced concerns as to the kits' ability to travel far, which only added more issues to deal with - splitting up to search would leave the kits much too vulnerable, and staying together would take much too long.

"Maybe Starclan can do something."

All eyes turned to Starpelt, the debate gone silent in an instant. He instantly regretted having spoken.

"What?" asked Sundrown, dumbfounded.

"Well, I mean, eh ..." The black warrior carefully sat up, shifting awkwardly. "They helped us before, right? They warned us about all this. So maybe they have some advice for what to do."

"That's a good idea," Poppypaw replied, thoughtful. "I'll ask them."

"Huh? Right now?"

The medicine apprentice paused. "Well, no, I only speak to Starclan in my dreams," she admitted, but after thinking about it for a moment regained her vigor. "I'll take a nap and see if they appear to me."

With that, Poppypaw swiftly turned and vanished into the shrubs with Leafpaw in tow. Mousepaw glowered, turning his back on the group and walking away with his tail flicking.

"Mousepaw!" Sundrown called after him, sighing as he went ignored. He glanced to Starpelt. "I'll go fetch him."

Watching his friend run off, Starpelt decided he'd definitely made the right call in not taking responsibility for the apprentice's mood. Still, the bush was already too crowded with kits and apprentices to fit him, and there was nothing to do but wait for Poppypaw to receive her new prophecy...

Starpelt lay down in the grass, closed his eyes, and decided Poppypaw wasn't the only one getting a nap.

* * *

He awoke with a jolt, not from any voices or dreams, but from a thin cat tripping over him.

"Sorry!" Poppypaw whispered hurriedly, fumbling back to her paws. The sky was dark, the sun having given way to a large moon. "I didn't see you!"

The black warrior blinked slowly, thoughts still blurred from sleep. "Uh... where are you going?"

"I got a sign from Starclan!"

At those words Starpelt remembered the situation, ears flipping upright. "What'd they say?"

"They said to go to the Moonspring. They'll explain more there."

The Moonspring was something Starpelt had never even heard of, but Poppypaw seemed to know about it, which was good enough. He stretched and rose to his paws. "Alright, let's go."

Poppypaw nodded, relief rolling off her. He wasn't sure whether she'd planned to go alone or had just worried he would refuse, but it didn't matter. The two began to move, and-

"I'm coming too."

Starpelt stopped, turning to Sundrown's voice. The tabby was clearly tired, looking near dead on his feet, but determination shone in his eyes.

"You should rest," mewed Poppypaw, lowering her ears.

"I'm not letting my friend and an apprentice go into danger alone," Sundrown replied in a stony voice. "You wouldn't last a minute against foxes."

_Neither would you,_ thought Starpelt. "Haven't you slept at all?"

"A few minutes," the tabby shrugged, just in time for a pair of green eyes to peer through the entrance. He smiled. "Cobpaw, good timing. Take over guard duty for me until Leafpaw wakes."

"... Huh?" asked Cobpaw, but Sundrown was already walking over to the others, leaving the apprentice unanswered. "Um, okay."

* * *

Sundrown seemed to sober up somewhat as they walked, probably thanks to the herbs Poppypaw had given him, which Starpelt was both grateful for and impressed by. He walked slightly ahead of the tabby, tail just barely brushing against him so he could tell if his friend fell behind, with Poppypaw taking the lead.

They moved in silence for some time, across the fields and past the large, fenced-in two-leg den bordering it. Beyond that point both the forest and the fields met and ended as one, replaced with rocky outcroppings and stony ground.

"In here," Poppypaw whispered, her slender frame slipping through a thin passage between two rocks. Sundrown went second at Starpelt's insistence, with the black warrior going last.

Squeezing through the gap, he emerged into a small, open area. A small body of water lay in its center, trailing into a thin stream that disappeared in among the outcroppings. The near-full moon shone from the water's surface, and sweet-smelling plants and herbs bloomed around its edge.

"Woah," he gasped, looking up at the star-speckled sky. He would have expected a cave, not ... this.

"This is the Moonspring," explained Poppypaw, lying down by the water's edge. "We come here for herbs sometimes ."

She beckoned for the two to follow her lead, though Starpelt wasn't sure why as he lay next to the plants. He dipped his tongue into the water, taking a few gulps, and watched as Poppypaw closed her eyes to rest.

"Are we supposed to follow that too?" Starpelt whispered with a glance to Sundrown, only to find the tabby was already deep asleep. "... Okay then."

Not one to shun an opportunity for a nap, the black warrior tucked his head into his paws and followed suit.

He had barely closed his eyes before they shot open, and Starpelt found himself standing in a windswept field. Fireflies lit the black sky, and the grass was tinted with frost. He knew at once he wasn't home - there were no slopes or trees anywhere in sight.

Not that he was unused to dreams, but they never struck so fast, nor felt so vivid. Starpelt looked around, the fireflies reflecting in his eyes. "Hello?"

"Hello."

Some distance in front of him, a she-cat had appeared. Her yellow fur and eyes shone like sunlight, and stars dotted her pelt. Starpelt stared; impressive glowiness aside, something about her was familiar, though he hadn't seen her since he was a little kit.

The starry cat dipped her head, smiling. "It's been a long time."

"Uh... yeah." Was he in Starclan? Was it appropriate to ask a Starclan cat their name? Not knowing the proper etiquette, Starpelt instead glanced around. "Where are we?"

"The fields of Starclan."

"I thought Starclan lived in a forest?"

At that, the she-cat chuckled. "Maybe in the stories. We adapted to the fields just like you." Turning, she flicked her tail and began to move. "Come, let's go to everyone else."

The two walked in silence, Starpelt wracking his brain for a name. It was always on the tip of his tongue, a moment away, but he had been _so young_ and there had been too many cats, and he hadn't been one to race around and talk to everyone anyway-

"Pillowclaw, you're back."

"Pillowclaw! That's it!" Starpelt called triumphantly, stopping in his tracks. Of course! Honeypatch's sister! His moment of pride quickly faded, however, as he found himself within a wide half-circle of cats, each one's pelt full of twinkling stars. And they were all looking at him.

At once he flinched, fumbling backwards a few steps with his ears flattened to his skull. Amused 'mrrow's arose from the cats, until one - a gray-blue she-cat who hid her amusement better than most - stepped forward. "We were worried you wouldn't come."

"I, uh," Starpelt began, then sat down and raised his head. He tried to calm down; having so many eyes on him had never sat well, but he didn't often have to deal with it. "Yes."

"I am Moorwish," the she-cat introduced herself with a dip of her head. She was taller than him, aged and muscular, but with the softness only a mother could hold. "One of the two who founded your clan."

Starpelt nodded - honestly, he had forgotten the names of the founders, so the refresher was appreciated. Admitting that was awkward, though, so he said nothing as Moorwish touched her nose to his forehead in greeting. She spoke again, her voice gentle yet clear enough to steal his breath.

"Starpelt... It is time for you to become leader."


	5. The Newborn Leader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starpelt receives nine lives and an unfortunate name.

Starpelt stared, the cold, swirling sensation in his belly spreading outward until panic filled his every limb. "What?"

"You must lead-"

"No, no no no!" he cut the Starclan cat off quickly. "Why me!? Why not Sundrown? He's - he's a much better choice. He‘s great at leader things!" He began to pace as he spoke, walking in circles. "He's loyal, and clever and smart, and he's always calm and keeps a level head in bad situations, and he's mature. He's better than me at _everything_. I bet he'd be a great leader!"

Moorwish waited patiently for him to finish before answering. "We cannot."

Starpelt stopped in his tracks. "What? Why not?"

"He does not believe in Starclan," the she-cat explained. "We cannot reach him."

Oh. Okay, that _would_ make crowning him a problem, Starpelt had to admit as he sat back down. At least if they did it directly. "Maybe I can relay it to him."

"There's a tad more to it than that," Moorwish mewed. Starpelt slumped. "... Starpelt, it must be you. We cannot burden an apprentice with this task, and neither Sundrown nor Chilltail are within our reach."

"... I understand." Starpelt wanted to remark on the fact he'd only been a warrior for one moon, so he was basically an apprentice too, but they probably wouldn't accept that logic.

Stupid Starclan making cats not believe in it. Sundrown and Chilltail would both have been better choices.

"Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" asked Moorwish, and Starpelt stared at her blankly. She tipped her head to the side. "... You are aware of the nine lives?"

"Those are _real?"_

"Oh, yes. As real as the stories of Starclan, and those of the clan's founding."

Starpelt was stunned. This was too much! Even as a kit, everyone assumed that the stories of cats with nine lives, returning from the clutches of death itself, were exaggerated. And now he would gain them! He tried to find a response, but ... "Calmstar? Does she have them, too?"

Moorwish shook her head. "We cannot grant lives to cats who do not believe in us."

That explained the whole 'can't make Sundrown leader' thing, he supposed, but it was still a bit disappointing. Starpelt kneaded at the ground, wondering how you would even tell you had nine lives - did you just test it out by dying? ... No, that would be a ridiculously awful idea, considering the best case scenario still involved dying.

"Starpelt? Are you ready?"

"Oh!" He flinched out of his thoughts, claws digging into the frost-tipped grass as he straightened his back. "Yes!"

Truth be told he didn't feel ready, but the whole situation was impossible to prepare for anyway, so it was better just to get it over with. Moorwish smiled, then backed away as Pillowclaw stepped forward, and he met her nose with his own.

At once he regretted it, as the touch burned - not like fire, but like the time his snout was frozen to a puddle of ice. He jerked, but (again like the time with the puddle) he could not move away.

"With this life I give you gentleness," said Pillowclaw, "so that your claws will not harm any you do not mean to."

Images flooded Starpelt's mind; of walking with his pawsteps as light as air and silent as shadows, of carrying newborn kits with so much care they slept in his jaws. Before he could take it all in the images were gone, and Pillowclaw was walking back to the other cats. Starpelt found himself searching for faces he recognized - none of the cats taken by two-legs were here, but among all the starry pelts he noticed a dark spot, and moments later realized it belonged to a small rust-and-soot furred cat. Poppypaw!

From her side a ginger she-cat stepped forward, one he just barely remembered as her mother, and this time he made sure not to meet the cat's nose with his own. He instead let her touch his forehead and this time the sensation was gentler, like a soaked mossball in leafbare.

"With this life I give you guidance," she murmured. "May your heart guide your paws."

More visions appeared, of looking to the skies to receive answers, of walking a trail of stars as cats followed his pawsteps, of looking down at his very own apprentice and confidently answering every question they asked.

And that was how it continued. Cats Starpelt did not know stepped forward to touch him and provide him with a life of something; Good health, Prosperity, Humor. By the end of it he had trouble telling one life from another, much less what each one represented. He had lost count when Moorwish stepped forward once more, touching her nose to his forehead and steadying his shaky legs.

"With this final life I grant you freedom," she said softly. "May you use it to live according to your own will."

The images barely registered, and once they had passed Starpelt fell over. Poppypaw rushed to his side, staying by him until the world stopped spinning.

"Is he alright?" someone asked.

"Maybe it was a mistake to choose someone so young..."

"But we were going easy on him! I heard that lives of bravery or battle are horribly painful to receive, we all picked soft things."

"He's barely out of kithood, for Starclan's sake. We shouldn't have given him so many at all!"

"What's the alternative? Give him three lives one dream, three lives the next?"

"Are you okay?" Poppypaw asked quietly, touching his fur. Starpelt let out a breath, relishing in the warm touch of a cat who wasn't apparently made of ice. He took a few moments to just bask in it and focus his thoughts.

"I think so," he said, climbing back to his feet. Now that he'd been given some time to gather his bearings, he felt good - not any better than before the assault of lives, but once he'd recovered properly he was sure he'd feel better than he ever had before. He made sure he stood steady, then looked up at Moorwish and all the cats around them, steeling himself. "Is that... was that the last one?"

"It was," Moorwish replied with a graceful nod. "You have received the nine lives of a leader, and Starclan's approval. I hail you by your new name, Starstar."

There was a pause.

"Can I have a different name?"

"I'm afraid not." From the way Moorwish was smiling, barely keeping herself from laughing, Starpelt - or Starstar - suspected she was in no way sorry about this fact. The snickers from some of the other cats cemented it. "Use your lives well, and lead the remnants of your clan to safety."

"About that!" Starstar called, only now remembering. "That was the reason we came here at all!? We need help on what to do, everyone's got different ideas!"

"Tomorrow, as the moon reaches its highest point, travel to the very center of the forest. Ask the cats there for aid, and they will provide you shelter."

"Are you sure?"

"We will tell them of your arrival," assured Moorwish with a dip of her head, before turning to Poppypaw. "Poppypaw... You did well to bring him here. As such, you will receive your full name. Starstar, to help you adjust to your new role, I place this task in your paws."

"What?" asked Starstar.

"Thank you," Poppypaw mewed, head held high and eyes bright. She looked to the black warrior - no, her leader - and smiled.

Starstar wanted to panic. He was being watched by the ghosts of his ancestors, tasked with coming up with a name on the spot! His mind felt as dry as his mouth and he backed away a few steps, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the proud Poppypaw. He couldn't just let her down.

Closing his eyes, he tried to focus. He had gone through naming ceremonies. It had been only a moon since Calmstar had given him his warrior name. He could do this, he KNEW how to do this. Starstar took a deep breath and kept his eyes closed as he began to speak. "I… I call upon our warrior ancestors..."

"We're here," someone reassured, and threw him off completely.

"I-I! Hereby..." Starstar struggled to recall the words, resisting the urge to sit as he opened his eyes and met the medicine apprentice's gaze. "By the power of Starclan, I hereby give you the name of ... of Poppy ..."

... Poppy what?

He couldn't think of a suffix. Any he'd had in mind had vaporized as he spoke! Panic surged in his chest, wild and unfettered, as he tried to think of something in the short moment he had. Poppy, the medicine cat, something poppy-related for medicine cats-

"Poppyseed," he finished, and the Starclan cats erupted into cheers.

"Poppyseed! Poppyseed!" they called, with some calling 'Starstar!' in the apparent realization they'd forgotten to do so earlier. Starstar slumped to a sit, slowly taking in the events. He had just held a naming ceremony.

He had just _botched_ a naming ceremony.

If this was a sign of things to come, he was not looking forward to it.


	6. To the Forest!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starstar's leadership is accepted for the wrong reasons, and the journey to a new home begins.

"Chin up," Sundrown consoled, "it'll go fine."

Starstar had been gloomy for most of the trip back. The moment he'd woken up, he had told Sundrown everything that happened. The tabby had been uncertain at first, but Poppyseed corroborated the story and they had been friends long enough that he knew better than to dismiss it.

Unfortunately, they still had to convince everyone else.

"I wonder how things are at the camp," Poppyseed mewed thoughtfully. "We kind of left Cobpaw as the only guard."

Sundrown froze mid-step. "Oh, Starclan. I did do that," he then lamented, resuming his walk at a somewhat faster pace. "I must have been more tired than I thought."

"I was scared you'd fall asleep halfway through the trip," Starstar agreed, lips curling up in amusement. "I'm way too weak to drag you along if that happened."

"You're too weak to drag _anyone_ along," Sundrown poked back lightly. "Except maybe an apprentice."

"I'm built for speed. Unlike you, who could probably drag half the clan on your back."

Having something else to talk about helped immensely, with the two friends trading light-hearted insults and banter until the hill where their temporary camp lay came into view.

They raced the final distance. Starstar reached the top first, beaming with pride as Sundrown reached him with Poppyseed some distance behind. Leafpaw was sitting by the entrance to the bushes, ears perking as she saw them.

"You're back!" she called. "Where did you go?"

"Uh-" In an instant, Starstar lost his smile as he scrambled for an explanation, realizing that they had run off in the middle of the night _without telling anyone_. "Well..."

"The Moonspring," Sundrown filled in. "Poppyseed had a vision."

"Seed ...?" Leafpaw blinked, then shook it off. "What did you find?"

"We, um, we'll explain once everyone's here," mewed Starstar, unwilling to try and explain all this more times than necessary. "Are the others inside?"

"Mousepaw and Cobpaw went hunting, but I can get Chilltail and the kits."

As soon as the white-and-orange cat had gone inside, Starstar slumped to a sit. His worries came back full force; even the thought of explaining his new name made his fur crawl.

But this was his job, as a leader. He would have to get used to it. Poppyseed vanished into the bushes and soon re-emerged with Chilltail and her kits, Leafpaw carrying Greenkit out a moment later.

"That's most of them," the apprentice murmured and moved back into the bushes. "Moonkit?"

Greenkit blinked a few times, tilting his head blearily. "Umm... Moonkit's not there. She snucked out."

"What?!" Leafpaw shot back out like a startled bird, eyes big as saucers. "Where?!"

" 'unno... Wanted to not wait around."

A chill crept up Starstar's spine. They'd already lost so much, they couldn't bear losing a kit now! "Where- when'd you see her last?" he stammered. "We have to spread out, she can't have gone far, there must be scents ..."

A thick, white tail whapped against his front leg. "Calm down," Chilltail grumbled, curling her paws around her kits. "She's four moons old, she's not stupid."

_You wouldn't be saying that if it were your kits!_ Starstar thought, but before he could voice anything Chilltail nodded toward the slope. He looked that way to see Mousepaw and Cobpaw returning from their hunt; Mousepaw carrying a fat mouse, while Cobpaw carried a mouthful of stalks full of blue berries. Beside them, hopping forward not to trip on her prey, Moonkit carried a young bluebird.

"Moonkit!" Leafpaw called, hurrying down to the trio. "Thank goodness!"

Mousepaw huffed, reaching the top and dropping his catch. "We had to cut our hunt short because of that kid popping out of the bushes."

"I cffht it myseff!" Moonkit declared proudly, though exactly what she was declaring was hard to tell. She bounced up to Greenkit, putting the bird down with a big smile. "Greenkit, let's share!"

As Cobpaw placed his berries down with Mousepaw's mouse, Leafpaw tilted her head to the side. "Cobpaw, that's... not prey."

"It's edible," Cobpaw defended himself.

Thankfully, Starstar's trio had managed to catch some food during the trip home, so they just watched as the other cats ate. Combined with the remaining fresh-kill from the previous day, there was only just enough to go around. In particular, Starstar felt relieved to see Chilltail awake and acting more like her usual self, even if said self was a sourpuss.

"It's time," whispered Sundrown as they were finishing up. Starstar exhaled, steeling himself, and called out once the last piece of food had disappeared.

"Excuse me!" ... Actually, that was a terrible start, but uh- "We have news, from the- from Starclan!"

"So do I," said Chilltail, unimpressed. "From me. I've decided on names for my kits."

"Ah?" Though caught off guard, Starstar felt grateful. A more relaxed mood would make it easier on all of them - and besides, with Honeypatch and Chilltail having been unable to decide on names, it was awkward not to know what to call the newborns.

"Their names will be Honeykit and Snowkit, after my mate and sister," Chilltail continued, gently touching the kits as she spoke their names. Honestly, the colors matched - a thick-furred white kit, just like Snowheart, and a chubby yellow kit with short fur just like Honeypatch's.

"You, um, you know they're not dead..."

"Well if they return, they'll be happy to know I thought of them."

Couldn't argue with that logic. Starstar nodded. "Anyway, Starclan... well... it appointed me to be your new leader."

That got her attention, along with everyone else's. Starstar pushed down the shiver ruffling his fur. "M-my name is Starstar. Poppypaw got a name too, Poppyseed."

"That's a lie," Mousepaw spoke up, tail flicking as he watched Starstar. "You? Any mousebrain would know you're less capable than Sundrown."

"What-? It's not a lie!"

"That's stupid! Why would Starclan pick _you?"_

Oh, this was exactly what he'd feared. Starstar's gaze trailed over the other cats - none of them believed him. Even the kits looked hesitant (though that may be from Mousepaw's outburst). What could he say to convince them? It was true that he wasn't capable, but he'd tried to _tell_ Starclan that, so it wasn't like that was his fault! "I ..."

Before he could speak, Sundrown stepped in front of him.

"Starstar is the only cat I known who's spoken about how little he wants to be leader," the tabby said, his gaze challenging Mousepaw to argue. "Leaders have to be up early, hold meetings and make decisions. Any cat who knew Starpelt can attest to his love for lazy mornings, lazy afternoons, and avoiding responsibility. As his closest friend and now deputy, I can confidently say that if he had the slightest chance to hoist the responsibility of leadership onto me, he would have."

The speech seemed to shut Mousepaw up, and the doubt faded from the other cats' expressions. Starstar felt vaguely insulted at the idea that _this_ was the reason Sundrown had believed him, no matter how true it was, but since he couldn't argue it without undermining himself he settled for giving his deputy a hurt look.

"It's Starstar now," he murmured.

"I know, sorry," Sundrown smiled as he stepped back. "It's easier to explain with your old name."

"Is that all they said, Starstar?" Leafpaw asked, as though tasting the name. Starstar breathed out, thankful to let the conversation move on.

"They said to go to the center of the forest when the moon is at its highest point tonight."

"Oh! Roadtrip!" called Moonkit.

Cobpaw looked toward the sun. "How long does it take to get there?"

It was at this moment that Starstar realized none of them had any idea where the center of the forest was, much less how long it'd take to get there. "... We should probably get going."

* * *

Entering the forest proper was far different from just sniffing around the outskirts. Everything looked and smelled new; the air carried the scents of unknown cats, of bark and leaves and moss and dew, and too many other things to take in and identify.

Starstar took the lead, followed by Mousepaw and Poppyseed in case an explanation or a fight was needed. Chilltail walked with her babies nestled into her fur, while Cobpaw and Leafpaw kept an eye on the kits - both to ensure none fell off Chilltail, and to avoid another Moonkit escape. Sundrown brought up the rear, making sure they weren't ambushed and that nobody fell behind.

"Look, it's a camp!" Moonkit called at one point, pulling their attention to a hollow surrounded by tall grass and thin brambles. Starstar had to agree - it looked a lot like their own camp, just in a clearing rather than on a field - but Starclan's words echoed in his head. They had to find the center of the forest, not just one clan. They could not afford to get chased out.

Unfortunately, they didn't know where the center of the forest _was_. The sun reached its highest point and then fell again, a full moon rising in its place. Unused to the forest's twists and turns, Starstar feared that they would be lost and never reach the center, until a new scent made him stop.

"This is... another cat scent?" he asked aloud, sniffing the air. "And it smells of blood..."

The others stopped, Mousepaw ready to pounce on any threat that may emerge, but it was Leafpaw who spoke up.

"I think I've heard of that," she said. "The forest cats are divided into four clans, and each clan has borders... And night and day, the clan cats fight at these borders, trying to claim more territory."

That did sound familiar. Starstar had never been much for the gorier stories, of forest cats who fought and killed and ate kits in one bite. "If there's borders... the center of the forest should be where all the borders meet, right?"

"Right."

Starstar's face broke into a smile. "As long as we follow this border, then we'll reach the center! Come on!"

They moved onward with renewed vigor, but the longer they walked, the more worried Starstar grew. He kept glancing at the moon - slowly it rose, further and further, and when it hit its highest point Starstar was sprinting. The dismayed yowls of his clanmates betrayed that he was outpacing them, but the scents of cats were getting stronger and he could hear _voices_ , and he had to get there before whatever was happening ended and the cats all vanished and they missed their chance.

Finally Starstar broke through the underbrush and into the middle of a large clearing, panting as he reached the source of all the voices. The bustle of sounds went dead silent as Starstar began to take in his surroundings, raising his head. A throng of cats stood all around him, each and every one staring.

He had just crashed a Gathering!


	7. The Forest Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet the Forest Clan Leaders, and Starstar's clan is finally named.

_"Intruder!"_

The cats screeched and hissed, and Starstar's fur spiked out as he scrambled backwards. Too late -- there was no exit and fangs and claws were all he could see.

"I-I'm Starstar! From Starstar!!" he cried in a panic, cowering and hiding his face in his paws so he'd at least not have to _watch_ as he died. "I mean Starclan! I'm Starclan! From Starclan! I--!!"

"Stop."

The screeches faded, but it took several seconds before Starstar dared to lower his paws. Distrustful stares surrounded him, but the cats kept their distance. All but one.

Jumping from a large, flat boulder, a tall she-cat landed in front of him. She reminded him of Calmstar - her sleek fur was a touch darker, but she carried herself with the same dignity and grace. She was also slightly damp, but that didn't feel like a Calmstar trait.

"Did you say you're from Starclan?" she asked, bright eyes fixed on his.

"S... sent _by_ Starclan..." mewed Starstar, feeling like a newborn kit under the she-cat's gaze. "They said we'd get help here."

"I see." She began to circle him, scenting his fur. Starstar slowly forced his locked limbs to a sit.

"Don't tell me you believe him, Riverstar," snorted a mostly-black tortoiseshell tom, one of three cats still atop the boulder. "He's some rogue that caught wind of Starclan and thought he'd get a free meal."

"Oh hey, that's the cat we see on border patrols sometimes," mewed another, a small brown-and-orange she-cat with leaves in her fur who had leaned down to see better. "He's alone?"

Starstar felt his pelt burn at the incredulous stares and murmurs around him, shifting his paws and lowering his head. A rogue - was that what they thought of him? If he couldn't prove his claim, would they chase him out? As he huddled together, Riverstar raised her tail high and the whispers died out.

"You said Starclan claimed you would get help here," she said, standing in front of him. He couldn't read her gaze, but it didn't seem hostile. "Help with what?"

All attention was on him. He couldn't speak; the stares of hundreds of cats, all waiting with bated breath, ready to tear him to shreds should his answer be wrong, made it impossible to find any words. Starstar squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will himself to speak. "We... We lost..."

"Starstar!"

Relief flooded his heart as he heard Poppyseed's voice, the medicine cat near tumbling into the clearing. Starstar looked at her, so out of breath and with fur so scruffy she resembled a hedgehog, and he focused on her presence as he turned back to meet Riverstar's gaze. "Two-legs took our home and much of our clan."

"I assume that is your clanmate," noted Riverstar. Some of the other cats were muttering among themselves as Starstar nodded, but nobody spoke up or hissed as Poppyseed walked to his side. "How many others are with you?"

"Um..." Starstar laid his tail around the smaller cat, trying to think. "There's Sundrown... Mousepaw, and um..." ... how many cats were there?

"There are nine others, four of which are kits," Poppyseed filled in for him. A ripple of murmur ran through the crowd. "They're waiting nearby; Starstar ran ahead and then yowls erupted like a pack of dogs was tearing through you all, so we were worried."

"Bring them here."

With a nod, Poppyseed turned and left the clearing. Starstar lowered his head.

"Starclan said we could get shelter here," he said quietly. Riverstar made a thoughtful sound and jumped back up to her spot on the flat boulder, where she laid her tail around her paws. Once again he was the sole center of attention; nobody spoke to him, but the crowd was abuzz with murmurs and whispers and it made it worse than if there had been nothing at all. When Poppyseed finally returned the crowd grew louder, awkwardness searing his pelt as cats gasped and stared. Sundrown and Mousepaw were shielding Chilltail, who looked ready to tear apart every cat in the clearing should they touch her kits. Moonkit's eyes sparkled with awe as she took in the sheer amount of cats, watched by Leafpaw, while Greenkit was hiding between Cobpaw's legs.

"They're _all_ kits!" cried an elderly tom from the crowd. "Is even one of them warrior age?"

"I'm thirteen moons..." Starstar whispered half-heartedly.

Sundrown took a kit-step back before catching himself, evidently not prepared for such a question, but recovered quickly. "I'm fourteen moons," he answered, straightening. "Starstar is thirteen, and Chilltail is ..."

He glanced to Chilltail, who grumbled as she laid down. "Twenty-eight moons."

"This..." Riverstar began, staring down from the boulder with wide eyes. "Had it just been shelter for one day, it would be one thing, but ..."

"There is no way these cats would survive on their own," finished a huge silver tabby with so much fur he looked like a whole pile of cats - the fourth cat atop the boulder. "They require a long-time shelter."

"We cannot take in a dozen cats. There's no room!"

"None here either."

"There's no space in the forest for another clan," scoffed the rude tortoiseshell. "We're not taking them in."

" _A clan of children will arrive, and four clans will become five_." An aged, thick-furred cat stepped out of the crowd, raising his head to face the leaders. "This, Starclan told me tonight."

"That's kind of on-the-nose, isn't it?" the cat behind him whispered to their clanmate.

Starstar felt hot with embarrassment, standing there as the murmurs grew louder around him. Everything about this situation was awkward -- even the prophecy! Had Starclan just thought of the riddle as they went to say it?!

"Well, I guess we have to keep them then!" said the cat with leaves in her fur. "But we don't have space either. Maybe if we split them up between us it'd work."

Chilltail and Mousepaw bristled, ready to retaliate against the suggestion. Thankfully, Riverstar raised her head and nipped such ideas in the bud. "Your name was Starstar, was it? Well, then. What is the name of your clan?"

"What-? Uh, the clan- the clan?" Starstar fumbled his words at the sudden question, temporarily forgetting every name he'd ever known. Riverstar blinked down at him.

"Clanclan?" she asked, voice tinged with sympathy. Starstar flinched, but before he could correct her she continued. "Very well. Lakeclan will hereby donate the River Path to Clanclan."

"We're not Clanclan!" Mousepaw hissed to Starstar.

"We're just a fraction of the clan, though," whispered Leafpaw, ushering Moonkit close to herself. "Maybe a new name will do us good."

"But _Clanclan?"_

"You can't do that!" screeched the rude tortoiseshell, cutting the conversation short. Riverstar looked at him as casually as if he'd asked the weather.

"We have fought over the River Path for moons, Scorchstar. We are all well fed in our own territories; neither side needs the River Path to survive. With this action, I end the needless bloodshed that has plagued our clans." Something dangerous glinted in her eyes and she smiled as she finished, "I am sure you wouldn't stoop to snatching territory from children in need."

Scorchstar backed down, grumbling. Starstar wasn't sure how to feel about his clan essentially being used as a roadblock, but a home was a home.

"I have to agree, it is quite a good idea," spoke the silver-gray tabby. "I think I'll follow suit. I, Pebblestar of Rockclan, will bequeathe the Sand Strip to Clanclan. With this action, we end the feud between Rockclan and Grassclan."

"Oh this sounds fun," laughed the she-cat with leaves in her fur. "Alright! Grassclan's bequeathing the wide bush strip bordering us with Lakeclan!"

Scorchstar grunted, apparently not about to follow suit, but paused as the three other leaders stared at him expectantly. He ignored it for a solid few seconds before finally giving in with a loud yowl. "Okay! Fine!"

He stared straight down at Starstar, his yellow eyes so steely they were almost glaring. "Marshclan bequeathes the swamp's edge, up to the Moss Rocks, to Clanclan."

"Isn't there only moss there?" asked Grassclan's leader. "What's the use of that?"

"There's moss?!" called Starstar, moments before realizing he shouldn't draw attention to himself. Too late; everyone was looking at him. "It's just, uh, moss is ... moss is rare to us. Everyone just uses grass and straw, any moss is only for newborn kits."

"See? Marshclan has provided the most bountiful gift, Acornstar," smiled Scorchstar, looking as pleased as if he had just caught a swan. Acornstar huffed, sitting up straight as if to bequeathe something more, but stopped as Riverstar raised her tail high in a gesture of silence.

"Cats of all clans," she called. "I'm afraid the Gathering has been derailed tonight. May it be Starclan's will, but too long has passed for us to hold our usual reports. As such, I would like for another Gathering to be held in a quarter-moon. I would also propose that we allow Clanclan to make their camp in this clearing until that time."

"Rockclan holds no objections," agreed Pebblestar.

"Nor does Marshclan."

"I'm fine with it!"

Satisfied, Riverstar sat back down. "In the morning, Lakeclan will send two cats to show Clanclan the territory bequeathed to them."

"What, at dawn?" asked Acornstar. "In that case, Grassclan sends some cats at sunhigh!"

"Well then, Rockclan will send a cat in the morning in two days. I am assuming Marshclan has no issues with going at sunhigh?"

"Marshclan is going now," Scorchstar replied disdainfully. Confusion arose from the crowd, but he just raised his snout above them all. "Were you planning to let newborn kits sleep in the cold grass? They may be rogues, but they need bedding and if we're gathering moss anyway, we may as well show them the territory at the same time. I'd suggest _your_ clans find some food, unless you'd rather these cats starve until the morning."

Okay. Starstar made a mental note, _Marshclan likes one-upping the other clans._ Thankfully it was working in their favor, at least for now. The Gathering was called to an end and the cats began to disperse, Riverstar and Acornstar setting up hunting patrols while Scorchstar gathered his clan for a moss-collecting quest. Pebblestar dismissed his clan with a simple 'help only if you wish', remaining on the flat boulder even after the others had jumped down.

"What, aren't you helping?" asked Acornstar.

"I am keeping watch," the silver tabby answered calmly, lying down. "It would be terrible should a fox come by and snatch up the kits while everyone else is gone."

 _If he faced Chilltail, I'd be more worried about the fox,_ thought Starstar, but dipped his head in appreciation. "... Thank you. All of you."

"Come on," called Scorchstar with a flick of his tail. "Collect your cats and get going unless you want to miss the tour."

Holding back a groan, Starstar waved for Mousepaw, Leafpaw and Sundrown to follow as he began to move. He supposed digesting all that had happened would have to come later.

For now, priority one was making a warm nest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riverstar, Acornstar and Scorchstar designs:  
> https://imgur.com/a8KZd4H


	8. River Path Catwalk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starstar goes on a tour and retains none of it.

"Camp's been all abuzz about you all night, you know," the darker Lakeclan cat said, glancing over his shoulder. Starstar thought of answering, but instead let out a huge yawn.

Even after collecting the moss to make their nests, the previous night had been bustling with life for way too long. Lakeclan and Grassclan had made a competition out of their hunts, leaving Clanclan with enough fresh-kill to last for two days, but also with loud cheers and taunts of celebration. Rockclan, desperate not to fall behind, had managed to set up a make-shift nursery for Chilltail and the kits. By the time it was all over, sunrise was approaching and the Clanclan cats had all but passed out.

Starstar had only gotten a scant few hours of sleep when the two Lakeclan cats sent by Riverstar had arrived, ready to set out and show him his new territory - leading to the current predicament. His legs felt like lead and he was decently sure he'd left his brain in his nest, but as leader, he had to come along.

The two Lakeclan cats lead the way along the River Path - one was dark gray and thin, with white socks and marks, having introduced himself as ... Fishfin or something. The other was chubby and light gray, with some darker spots on his back and tail. Fin ... something. Finfish?

Fishfin... Finfish.

Made sense.

At least he wasn't the only one suffering. Poppyseed and Leafpaw walked alongside him - Poppyseed had gotten a bit more rest than the others, and Leafpaw was used to working on empty.

"Is it true two-legs took your whole camp?" asked Finfish out of nowhere.

"You can't ask that!" his clanmate shot back at once. "Come on, Fintail. Have some tact!"

Not Finfish, then. Made sense, his tail did sort of look like a fin. Starstar nodded to himself, accepting that logic. His paws slipped on the smooth, wet pebbles underfoot, but Leafpaw was quick to steady him.

"Sorry, sorry," said Fintail, seemingly not noticing. "But still, did they?"

"Yeah," yawned Starstar. "Not physically, but uh ... they did destroy it all, and they took all the cats ..."

"We have barely any herbs," interjected Poppyseed. "Are there any along this path?"

"Oh, yeah, this way." Fishfin veered away from the riverbed they had been following, flicking a paw toward the treeline. "There's no shortage of them, though I don't know what they are exactly."

"Uh, I think some's tansy," said Fintail.

"Tansy, this near water? That can't be right."

"If you say so."

"Whatever, it's something Sloeleaf likes. Oh yeah, that reminds me." Fishfin looked back at the Clanclan cats with a flick of an ear. "I don't know how you've lived so far, but around here, medicine cats get to go wherever they want. You see any Marshclan cats, you can chase them off, but if there's a medicine cat you gotta... not do that."

"Same goes for Sloeleaf," agreed Fintail. "Medicine cats don't fight, but they don't follow borders. Attacking one's off limits."

"We know," Poppyseed answered before Starstar could. He bit back a huff - certainly, their clan didn't have borders per se, but they still knew all the old Clan rules. Besides, medicine cats were the only ones who could enter the forest, specifically because of that rule.

"Thank you anyway, Fishfin," he meowed, dipping his head. Fishfin halted.

"It's Fish _bone_ ," the tom retorted, visibly ignoring Fintail's chuckle. "And you're welcome."

"Fishbone. Sorry."

"It's fine." Fishbone sighed. "Anyway, you get the gist of it, the territory keeps going this way up to the end of the trees."

Starstar nodded slowly, trying to find a good corner of his brain to place that memory as the group resumed walking. Poppyseed stopped here and there to grab herbs, heading back to camp once her jaws were full, and Starstar yearned to follow her.

Maybe he should have become a medicine cat. Medicine cats couldn't be leaders. It would have solved a lot of problems.

"Do you know how to fish?"

"Huh, what?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Starstar blinked awake. The trees were spreading thin and the Lakeclan cats were standing so near the river that water lapped at their paws. This had to be the end of the territory. "I don't."

"Here, let me show you." Fishbone slipped into the water as easily as though it were grass. As Fintail followed Starstar half-expected him to splash like a boulder, but he left nothing but ripples as he waded into the river. Then, he ducked underwater and came back up with a small, wriggling fish in his jaws.

"Hey, don't show me up," Fishbone complained. Fintail grinned, saying nothing as his clanmate turned to Starstar and Leafpaw. "Okay, so keep track of how I do it. You just make sure you have swift, sleek movements and when you feel a fish nearby, you snatch it."

A few moments passed, Fishbone staring into the water, then - just like Fintail had - he suddenly plunged below the surface and resurfaced with a fish. Starstar tried to imagine doing the same, but all he could think of was being swept with the tide and falling asleep on the bottom of the river.

"I think I can do that," Leafpaw murmured thoughtfully. "With enough practice..."

Awash with relief, Starstar made a mental note to let Leafpaw handle this area. As Fishbone and Fintail climbed up on the other side of the river he prepared to turn back home, but then Fishbone waved his tail for them to follow.

"Come on," the dark gray cat called. "The other border's on this side."

Starstar stared down at the water, imagined disappearing beneath the surface, and once again yearned to go home.

* * *

Despite all odds, Starstar did not drown. When the group finally returned to camp it was nearly sunhigh, the sunlight doing little to dry their soaked pelts.

Leafpaw was talking to Fishbone, the Lakeclan cat providing her with tips on her fish-hunting skills, but Starstar paid no heed to it as he flopped onto his bed of moss. It was so, so soft compared to what he was used to, and he was half-asleep before his eyes even closed.

"Well, we're gonna bring our fish back to Lakeclan's camp," he heard Fishbone say. "Doesn't look like you need any more for a good while."

Without listening to Leafpaw's reply, Starstar fell asleep. He had only been resting for an hour when a thick paw pushed at his shoulder and Sundrown's breath tickled his ear.

"Starstar, Grassclan's here. It's time to get going."

Starstar murmured, glancing up blearily. _No way,_ was the first thought that came to mind. He'd already lost enough sleep, no way he would go on a second patrol and tour some bushlands until moonrise. He nuzzled his nose into his fur and curled up. "You do it."

"Come on, you're leader. This is your job now," Sundrown urged. In response, Starstar curled up tighter. "Listen, at least say hi to them."

"You're the deputy," Starstar mumbled around his tail. "Just take Mousepaw and ... dunno, Cobpaw, and do this one."

Sundrown heaved a deep sigh, but Starstar had no intention of listening to any retorts. Deputies were there to help their leaders, taking over tasks the leader failed to do, and this was definitely a case of that. And so, before his friend could utter a single word, Starstar was deeply asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fishbone and Fintail have been added to the album!  
> https://imgur.com/a8KZd4H


	9. Of Cats and Camps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we hear more about the forest clans and Clanclan picks out a new home.

Over the next few days, Starstar learned about the forest clans and their territories.

The River Path was easy to remember (though he did need Leafpaw to give him a second tour) as was the Swamp's Edge, as both territories had clear landmarks. The Sand Strip was more difficult to pin down, having no obvious tells, while the "wide bush strip at the border" bequeathed by Acornstar turned out to be so vague a territory that even Grassclan wasn't sure what it encompassed.

Thankfully, every trip grew a bit easier as Clanclan's scent marked the new borders. That was another thing to learn - each clan had its own scent and appearance.

Lakeclan cats, for example, smelled of wet fur and fish even when they were dry. Their fur was short and sleek, and their pelts seemed to favor grayscale colors.

Grassclan cats on the other hand smelled like flowers and fresh leaves. They were a bit smaller than the other clans, and the most curious - every time Starstar walked the borders, it seemed that a new Grassclan cat had appeared to watch him.

In contrast, Rockclan had some of the biggest cats in the forest, with thick and fluffy fur that smelled of dust. Their territory had a lot of rocks and cliffs, but their pelts blended in so well that when Starstar had met a Rockclan warrior on patrol he thought the cliffside itself had come to life. (It had been an awkward first meeting.)

The only clan he still didn't know much about was Marshclan. Their markers smelled of moss and mud, and their territory was probably damp wetlands just like the piece Clanclan had received, but he had not seen a single Marshclan cat since the Gathering.

With so much to learn, Starstar had barely had time to tend to his own clan's needs. Hunting and marking borders was fine, but Riverstar had given them a quarter-moon to find a new spot for their camp and nobody had found a good one during the patrols.

With the realization that they had only a few days to find a home, the day's patrols had been replaced with camp-hunting. Starstar surveyed the nests laid out in the Gathering spot as he prepared to head out. Leafpaw, Mousepaw and Sundrown had already left. Chilltail lay in the nursery with a glare that said Starstar would lose his ears if he suggested she leave her kits for even a moment, and Poppyseed had her paws full with Moonkit and Greenkit. Cobpaw was ...

Nowhere to be seen?

Starstar blinked. Since Cobpaw was so good with the kits, he was meant to stay at camp while Poppyseed helped search, but ...

"I wanna come!" cried Moonkit, stomping at the grass. "I'm almost warrior age!"

"You're not even apprentice age," Poppyseed retorted. Judging from the huffy glare she received it wasn't the right answer, and the kit's sharp reply confirmed it.

Yeah, the sooner he found Cobpaw the better. Starstar exhaled and raised his voice. "Has anyone seen Cobpaw?"

"Yeah, he ran off!" yelled Moonkit.

"Um, past the rocks," added Greenkit, pointing a tiny paw at the rocks where the leaders had sat during the Gathering. "He wen' that way."

"Thank you." Starstar swiftly turned and headed for the rocks, but there was nobody on the other side. He opened his mouth to try and take in Cobpaw's scent, but they were so close to camp he couldn't make out any specific trail.

Guess his camp-hunting trip had become a Cobpaw-hunting trip. Starstar kept walking, tasting the air for any hints of the apprentice - Cobpaw couldn't have gone far, he was such a lazy airhead that-

Starstar stopped and chided himself for even thinking such a line of thought. Even if Cobpaw wasn't as competitive or adept at hunting as other cats it didn't mean he was a bad apprentice. It just meant his skills lay elsewhere, in foraging and kit-rearing. Besides, half those things applied to Starstar himself!

"Cobpaw!" he called, returning to the task at hand. No response, of course, so he walked onwards, searching for his clanmate's distinct scent or dark-gray fur. "... Cobpaw?!"

"Oh, yeah, over here," Cobpaw's voice replied in a conversational tone. Starstar huffed and looked around - no apprentice to be found.

"Over _where?"_

"Here. Oh ... Hang on."

Starstar waited, limbs stiff from his efforts to be patient and alert, which was exactly what made him jump somewhat when the leaves and shrubs behind him began to move. As he spun to face them, Cobpaw's gangly limbs crawled out, followed by his long snout and thin body. He shook himself off before facing Starstar, as innocent as though nothing was wrong.

"What are you doing out here?" Starstar asked, trying not to sound annoyed. "We were supposed to search for a camp."

"Yeah, this way," Cobpaw responded blithely and then he vanished back in among the leaves. Starstar hesitated before following, stopping and just staring before he had even fully pushed through the bushes.

Calling it a pit or hollow would have been generous. It was more that the ground dipped down a little bit, trees and thin shrubberies surrounding a small, grassy clearing.

It was tiny, much too small to house a full clan, but it was the perfect size for their group of cats and kittens. Starstar carefully stepped into the clearing, eyes as big as saucers. "You found one?"

"It was here yesterday," said Cobpaw, swiping a paw over his ear where he lay in the grass. "Went to take a nap after that patrol, and thought the leaves looked like the ones up on that hill ... Turned out it opened up into this area."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure it was big enough first. Wouldn't be good to drag everyone over if it wasn't."

"Yeah... yeah." Starstar sat down, smiling wide. So then it wasn't a problem after all. There was a fox den that could work as a leader's den, a boulder to hold meetings from, and a hollow beneath the roots of a tree that would work for medicine cats. The other dens they could build with mud and twigs. This camp would be perfectly fine.

Oh, uh, first things first though... "We have to fetch everyone who went out to search. Cobpaw, will you get Sundrown?"

Cobpaw's satisfied expression faded, as though he'd been punished for his honesty. "Do I have to?"

"Well we can't let them run around searching all day, not if we're to move before nightfall."

"I suppose..." Cobpaw heaved himself to his paws. "But I'm not going after Mousepaw."

That felt fair, Starstar thought. Mousepaw would certainly not accept that his 'lazy bum' of a brother had found the camp faster than him. "Deal."

* * *

Preparing the new clan took the rest of the quarter-moon. They had to clear out the tall grass, but also create a den for all the cats, as well as move and improve the nursery.

Chilltail left her kits for the first time since they were born, placing them in Cobpaw's care, just so she could help build the nursery and ensure it was sturdy and safe. Starstar and Poppyseed dug out and expanded the hollow under the tree to make a proper medicine cat den. Once done, Poppyseed brought over her herbs and the fresh-kill pile while Starstar cleared out the fox den and helped with the apprentice's - warrior's? both? - den.

On the final day before the extra Gathering, as the camp was close to usable, Starstar motioned for Sundrown to follow into his den.

"What's this about?" the tabby asked. Starstar suspected he didn't much appreciate being called away like this, but his friend remained cordial - almost concerned, really. He tucked his paws in, thinking over his words.

"I've been thinking," he settled on. "Uh, the other clans think we're all kits... it doesn't feel very right to have this many apprentices, and they've worked hard on everything..."

"You want to have a naming ceremony?" Sundrown cut in, ears flicking up. "They're too young for that."

"I know that, but this is an emergency, isn't it?" Starstar retorted at once. "We have to do something. The Gathering is tomorrow, and I want to be able to show that we're... not just kits, you know?"

The tabby was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "I understand."

"Um... also... Greenkit and Moonkit should be able to be apprenticed." Starstar said it quickly to avoid any conflict, but it was clear that Sundrown had heard him.

" _What?_ " his friend half-protested, but then stopped and lowered his head thoughtfully. "It's true... they should be too young, but Moonkit is too eager to take part in everything and she's showing promise... We can't keep track of her. If she's an apprentice ..."

"She'd get a mentor keeping tabs on her. We'll go easy on her, promise!"

"Who would be her mentor?"

Starstar paused. He hadn't thought of that. "... Cobpaw, maybe? He's good at handling kits, and having a laidback mentor might calm her down a bit."

"What about Greenkit?"

"It'd have to be Mousepaw. He'd be insufferable if Cobpaw got an apprentice and he didn't ..."

"Oh yeah."

"So then, do you agree?" Hope flickered to life in Starstar's chest as Sundrown nodded. "That's great!"

"Do you remember the words?" asked Sundrown as the two climbed back out of the fox den.

"Of course I do." Starstar had been practicing them ever since the incident with Poppyseed. He didn't want another miss like that one. He sat and waited as Sundrown rejoined the apprentices, finishing up the mud walls of the apprentice's den, then jumped up onto the rock.

"May every cat that is old enough to hunt its own prey gather!"

As the curious eyes of his clanmates all turned his way, Sundrown beside him and eight cats giving him their undivided attention, Starstar felt a sudden sense of vertigo. He tried to push through it, taking a deep breath as he continued. "You've all worked hard and proved your worth. You are young for warrior age, but you deserve to earn your warrior names."

He wasn't looking, not really. He could only remember the lines as he recited them in his head, over and over again. The surprise and delight in the cats' faces just made him feel worse; they were expecting so much, placing so much faith in him, that he felt like his paws would slip and he'd fall headfirst into the grass.

"Cobpaw," he started, more because the apprentice was the first one he saw than for any legitimate reason, "you... may you... may Starclan hear my words. Your new name will be ..."

All thought left his mind. Cobpaw had stepped forward, simply watching him, waiting for him to finish. Something. He needed something.

Starstar's gaze swept over the cats and landed on Poppyseed, sitting by her hollow of medical herbs. He needed a word and the herbs were all that came to mind. "... Cobweb."

As Cobweb lit up, Starstar felt a stone drop from his throat. It had gone fine. It was fine. He took a moment to catch his breath. "Th-then... Moonkit will be your apprentice. Teach her well..."

"Cobweb! Moonpaw!" cheered the other cats, allowing Starstar to compose himself. One down... that left two. He could do this. He'd be fine.

Mousepaw had stepped forward before his name was even called, eyes shimmering with expectation and confidence. Starstar had thought that the second attempt would be easier, but it wasn't. The apprentice's gaze was suffocating.

"M-Mousepaw... May your name be... Mousepaw, your name ... will be ..." he began, but his thoughts were blank. Any name he had in mind was lost in those sparkling, demanding eyes. Again he glanced to Poppyseed, only able to think in terms of what was around him, what he knew existed. By his side Sundrown stiffened, realizing what was going to happen, but had no time to act.

"... Mousebile."

The crowd went dead silent. Everyone just stared, and Mousebile stood stiffly with wide, shocked eyes. Then rage rushed into them, and the new warrior's shriek rang across the clearing.

"I REFUSE!"


	10. Holding A Speech 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starstar tries to solve most of his problems by not actually solving them.

"I-I..." Starstar stammered, backing up a step. "I'm-"

Before he could get another syllable out Sundrown slammed into his side, shoving him with enough force to almost send him tumbling off the boulder.

"Go!" the tabby hissed under his breath, and Starstar ran. He sprinted away from the meeting and straight into his fox burrow, pressing himself into his nest and covering his head with his paws.

Mousebile. _ Mousebile! _ Even for him, that was such a harebrained name! Could he really not have thought of anything else?!

Outside he heard cats' voices, though not enough to make out the words. Not that he wanted to; he blocked them out until the voices faded, soon to be followed by the sound of paws on dirt.

"What was that about?!" Sundrown demanded as he pushed his way into the den, and Starstar shrank further into his nest.

"I have stage fright!" the young leader wailed, unable to help himself. Sundrown stopped at once, fluffed up and wide-eyed.

"What- how hasn't this come up before!?"

"I don't know!" Starstar whined and covered his head once more. "I thought I could do it but I caaaan't..."

"Ugh..." The tabby ran a paw over his ear, sitting down with a sigh. "Well, I somehow managed to spin the name into a good thing."

Starstar lowered his paws halfway, peering up at his friend cautiously. "You did? How?"

"Something about how it's disliked at first, but very important for weeding out ticks and traitors, kind of thing. Mousebile's still really upset, but it seemed to satisfy everyone else."

It was easy to imagine it being more pity than satisfaction, but he supposed it was better than nothing and slumped helplessly. "What do we dooo..."

"Well, we can't let this happen again," sighed Sundrown. "It was pure luck you picked a name with  _ some _ positive aspects, and not something like Mousedung."

Scenarios of naming his beloved clanmates things like Harebrain or Crowfood filled Starstar's thoughts and he let out a whine like a deflating two-leg toy. Sundrown gave him a sympathetic look.

"Did you try thinking up names beforehand?"

"Of course... but whenever I'm up there, everyone watching, all my thoughts go blank!" wailed Starstar. "I can't do it! You do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Sundrown, hackles raising. "What would the other clans think?" Only given a whine in response, his expression softened. "Look... I'll help you, but I can't do it  _ for _ you."

Starstar looked up at his friend, not sure whether to be hopeful or cautious. "How?"

"Hm..." After thinking about it for a moment, the tabby made a batting motion. "For example, I sit by your side, and shove you into the dust the moment you start to say a bad name."

There was no doubt that he could do it, and the thought made a purr rumble in Starstar's throat. If there was anything that could bring him out of the paralyzed stupor of stage fright, it was being rammed straight off the rock. Feeling the tension ease, he finally found it in him to sit up. "Okay, but let's avoid doing that when we can. A few tackles like the last one and I won't even be coherent."

"Deal," replied Sundrown, looking satisfied. "Any other ideas?"

"Well, uh..." There was a pause as Starstar thought over it. When he panicked, he had used Poppyseed as an anchoring point. Something real, something tangible. A  _ real _ word to pick from. "... That's it."

"What?"

"I can pick real terms," he explained as he raised his head. "At least until it gets easier. Picking names out in advance won't do any good if I forget them, but I won't forget things like herb names or seasons!"

"I guess that is better than nothing," agreed Sundrown, his face all but screaming  _ 'are you sure about this?'. _ Starstar tried not to let it get to him, instead focusing on Leafpaw. Calm, gentle, mature Leafpaw, the one he should have named first. A thin, snow-white pelt with patches of light orange, just like the plain in leaf-bare.

"... That's it, I have a name," he announced, courage bubbling up. Following this theory, he knew he could manage! "I can resume the meeting now!"

"The meeting's over," Sundrown replied, and Starstar's mood deflated. "You shouldn't hold another until after the Gathering."

It felt unfortunate, but Starstar had to agree - calling two meetings within an hour felt... like bad form, if nothing else. And the Gathering would take place that very night. "I guess so."

With a short nod, his friend turned and began to climb out of the fox den. "Come on. Let's get some fresh-kill before it grows mold."

"Right." Although he dreaded the response to his appearance, Starstar slowly crawled out of the den. Thankfully, nobody was taking much notice; Cobweb was trying to keep Moonpaw from attacking his belly, shoving the apprentice aside with sheathed paws. Moonpaw was bouncing about with the excitement of five rabbits, sent tumbling with every failed attempt at her mentor's weak points but rebounding within moments. Mousebile was heading to the nursery, just having finished an evidently unsatisfying conversation with Leafpaw.

"At least you agree with me!" the tiny cat complained as he sought out Chilltail. "Right? You're my aunt!"

"I don't know," the queen answered, regarding him with something between annoyance and mean-spirited amusement. Starstar at once recalled the times Mousebile had teased her for essentially being an elder, and winced. "I'd say it fits just fine."

The small cat's fur fluffed up indignantly and he struggled to reply. "It doesn't!"

Chilltail chuckled in response, opening her mouth to bully him some more, but was cut off as Cobweb's yowl split the air. 

"Gowtchah!" Moonpaw yelled triumphantly, hanging from her mentor's tail as he shot to his paws. He tried in vain to shake her off until she let go on her own, standing tall and proud as though she had caught a mighty prey.

"We're not doing battle practice!" Cobweb whined, licking at his battered tail. Moonpaw huffed.

"Well, why NOT? I'm a proper apprentice now and you're my mentor, battle practice is what we DO!"

"No it isn't! Aagh, it's bleeding..."

"At least someone's happy," Sundrown whispered to Starstar's ear.

As Cobweb went to the medicine den, fretting about not wanting a kink in his tail, Starstar returned his attention to Mousebile only to find the young cat staring at him. As their eyes met, Mousebile's expression spilled over into utter rage and he dug his claws into the soil, hissing sharply. Starstar shied away, but before he could say a word, the gray warrior had spun around and dashed out of the camp.

Guilt gnawed at Starstar's belly as he picked the tiniest possible prey from the fresh-kill pile, suddenly lacking any appetite.

He had to make this right.

* * *

"Why should I?"

"Please?" Starstar begged, slinking back in front of Chilltail as she turned away. He kept his tail and head low, meeting her gaze as pleadingly as he could. "You're the only one who can."

"I'm not an elder," the queen grumbled, though she didn't turn away again. "No matter what any of you say."

"I know, but you're the oldest of us! Please, if I asked one of the apprentices I'd never hear the end of it. And Sundrown would raise too much suspicion. You're the only one who's mature enough to know how to talk to an elder!"

Chilltail glanced to the kits lying near her flank, furrowing her brow. "I have to care for my kits."

"You can bring them!" Starstar offered, raising his head. He quickly kept going when Chilltail glanced to him, eager to convince her. "They would love kits! Besides, everyone else is going, you need to be there to make sure you're not unprotected here alone at camp!"

That part was true. Most of the other cats had already gone - he had waited for them to leave camp before he even spoke to Chilltail so that they wouldn't hear of the plan, but it wasn't long until Sundrown would come to fetch him and he knew it.

"... And I just have to ask them," the queen replied after a pause. "Check how you do a name changing ceremony and then tell you."

"R-Right!" Starstar nodded sharply and sat up, relief washing over him. "One of them must know."

"Fine." Chilltail stood with a sigh. "You owe me."

"Of course, thank you!" Starstar confirmed. Chilltail picked up Honeykit, so he helped place Snowkit on her back and began to move.

They met with Sundrown and Leafpaw at the camp's edge and walked together to the Gathering spot. It was already near full, a throng of cats all chatting or laughing with each other. A group of old, grayed cats from all clans were lounging near the treeline, and Chilltail broke off to go join them.

The rest of his clan was easy to spot, because no matter where they were, they seemed to be the center of attention - the other clans were curious, which was to be expected. Cobweb had Moonpaw and Greenkit by his side as he spoke to some other young warriors, and Leafpaw soon joined them. Poppyseed was being scrutinized by the other medicine cats, awkward despite their pleasant demeanor.

Mousebile in particular seemed to be enjoying himself, Starstar noted. The gray warrior was talking to some dark, dappled cats with a build he hadn't seen before. Muscular, less sleek than Lakeclan.

Mousebile had never returned to camp after storming out, so it was nice to see he wasn't in a state of perpetual hatred.

As for Starstar himself, his pelt crawled at the thought of going in amongst all those curious cats. He skirted the borders and ended up settling behind the boulder where the leaders would sit - from there, he could stay out of view and still provide news on his clan.

This idea worked until said leaders noticed his presence.

"Oh, there he is," he heard Acornstar's voice. Moments later Riverstar landed next to him, walking into his line of sight with light steps. It reminded him of Calmstar, back when he had been a tiny kit frightened by her presence.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked, head tilted. "We thought you didn't come."

"Well, um..." Starstar kneaded at the ground, trying to find the words. It felt much harder to explain his stage fright to a stranger than to his best friend. "I'm just..."

"It's time to begin the Gathering. Do you know how a Gathering works?"

"Y, yes." He'd heard of it in stories, after all. He should know at least the basics. "I think I'd rather stay here."

"Nonsense." Suddenly, the massive mound of fur that was Pebblestar hauled Starstar into the air by his scruff. He flailed, but within moments he was placed on the boulder alongside the other leaders. It felt crowded; Acornstar's unspoken 'glad you dared to come' and Scorchstar's mean-spirited smirk clawed at his pelt, and his paws felt like they would slip off the edge. Pebblestar sat close behind him like a fluffy cliffside, leaving Riverstar little space to stand as she joined the others.

"Cats of all clans!" she called, and the throng of cats below stopped to look up at them. "The Gathering will now begin!"

Starstar stared at the cats below, trying in vain to breathe. They were all staring at him, waiting. Sundrown was at the front of the crowd, eyes wide with worry, unable to fulfill his promise of shoving him off any rocks.

The stares of thousands and millions of cats were waiting for him to speak and tell them what to do.

Starstar's legs carried him off the boulder and into the grass before he even registered the movement, and he had to stop himself from rushing into hiding. He settled for staring at the grass between his paws, focusing on breathing and trying to envision himself as perfectly, fully alone.

"Starstar?" Riverstar's worried voice called, which made that last part difficult.

"You know, why not let him speak first?" suggested Scorchstar, no small amount of amusement in his voice. "Tell us the news of your clan."

"Scorchstar, you can see he is not well. Don't-"

"We found a camp!" yelled Starstar, sitting upright and squeezing his eyes shut. Maybe it was a cruel taunt or bullying attempt, but the quicker he got this done the sooner he could get out of the public eye. "It's near here! Cobweb found it! And, and we got new warriors! Cob, Cobpaw is Cobweb, and Mousepaw is Mousebile!"

The congratulations that were about to start for the new warriors died in their tracks. Starstar felt grateful that he could not see the faces of the cats around him, squeezing his eyes shut a bit harder to make sure that stayed the case. "And we have an apprentice! M-Moonkit is Moonpaw!"

The crowd began to protest, yowls of 'she's too young!' and 'that's a kit!' ringing through the air. Some voiced their approval, perhaps having seen how proud Moonpaw was and not wanting her to feel alienated.

"That... that's all," Starstar finished lamely, not certain anyone heard him. One of the other leaders began to speak, and the moment he was sure all attention was elsewhere, Starstar slipped in behind the boulder and hid.


	11. Calm down, Mousebile!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starstar learns how to change a name, but finds it's harder than he thought.

"So that's what it was," said Riverstar. As the Gathering came to a close and the leaders had finished giving their updates, Sundrown privately helped Starstar explain about his stage fright - three of the clan leaders sat in front of them, while Scorchstar was watching from a distance, his back turned so as to appear uninterested.

"You have my sincerest apologies," Pebblestar said with a great dip of his head.

"You just have to defeat it!" suggested Acornstar, cutting off Starstar's attempt at a thank-you. "It's like fighting a badger. It may be long and tough, but the moment you slit that badger's throat and stand over its body, the rush will be _exhilirating_."

"Um, thank you," Starstar replied awkwardly, ducking his head into his shoulders. He couldn't really tell how fighting stage fright was anything like killing a badger, but Acornstar's excitement told of speaking from experience and he didn't know what to think about such a small cat taking out such a dangerous foe. It brought to mind images of his clan members doing the same.

"Just practice it, alright?" insisted Acornstar.

"If you need help, feel free to ask," said Riverstar. "It makes sense that one so young would not be comfortable with the position. I will do my best to aid you when needed. But for now, the Gathering is over and it is time for us to travel back to our camp."

"Ah, yes. Rockclan should be going, as well," agreed Pebblestar.

"Hey, Scorchstar is already leaving!" called Acornstar, jumping to her paws. "But I guess we did delay a bit. Right, see you next Gathering!"

As the leaders dispersed, Starstar felt comfortable enough to slump into a little heap. Sundrown looked down at him, touching the black leader's hip with his tail. "You did your best, we should get back too."

"I know, I know," sighed Starstar, but stayed down for a few moments longer before getting to his paws. Flanked by his deputy, he stepped out from behind the boulder where he had hid all this time and looked over the clearing. Many cats had already left, with the clan leaders collecting the remnants and just beginning to head out.

The medicine cats were saying their goodbyes - treating Poppyseed as an equal, it seemed, which was relieving. Similarly, despite her earlier grouchiness, Chilltail seemed quite comfortable where she lay with the elders. The old cats didn't actually seem that intent on leaving, being the last to get up, and a Marshclan queen helped Chilltail stash the kits on her back.

The rest of the clan had gathered together already, and Starstar did a quick head count as he joined the group. "... Where's Mousebile?"

"He left for camp," said Leafpaw. "As soon as the Marshclan cats left."

Made sense. Mousebile had never been much for waiting on anyone. Starstar did a second head count of the clan as Poppyseed and Chilltail joined them, trying to recall if there was a twelfth cat he was forgetting. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yeah!" called Moonpaw. Cobweb backed her up with a nod, though he too seemed to be considering potential extra cats.

"Everyone is here," confirmed Sundrown. "Come, let's head back."

On the way back to camp, Moonpaw was talking more or less non-stop. She sprang from spot to spot as though she was more of a rabbit than a cat, brimming with excitement about how the other clans had cheered for and supported her. Sundrown took the lead, which allowed Starstar to drop to the back of the group, walking alongside Chilltail.

"About that thing..." he whispered.

"Yeah, yeah," Chilltail cut him off with a swing of her tail. "We'll talk in the nursery."

"Okay." Starstar walked for a few moments in silence, watching Moonpaw trip up two cats at once. "You seemed happy with the elders."

"Well, they know better than anyone here," quipped Chilltail, lips curling into a smile.

There was no real reply to that, and Starstar settled for listening to Moonpaw's boasts about how she would prove every cat who doubted her abilities wrong until they entered camp. As he accompanied Chilltail to the nursery he glanced around for Mousebile, but the gray cat was nowhere to be seen.

_Maybe he's gone to bed,_ reasoned Starstar. It was quite late after all, and he wanted to sleep himself - but first he had to talk to Chilltail, and finally learn the secret of changing a name.

* * *

The instructions Chilltail provided were simple, really, but that didn't prevent Starstar from rehearsing them over and over as he tried to sleep. He wanted to be sure they were etched into his heart before he tried holding a clan meeting.

Of course, because of this he failed to fall asleep until dawn, and in turn overslept. He crawled out of his den with a great yawn and stretch to find the sun almost at its highest point, and scarcely a cat in the camp. The sounds of kits in the nursery told of Chilltail's presence, and by the entrance sat Leafpaw, acting as a look-out. Not even Poppyseed was around, probably out collecting herbs.

"Good morning," offered Leafpaw. "The others are out patrolling."

"Oh... uh... Sorry." Starstar slumped. Truth be told, oversleeping wasn't too unusual, so Sundrown assigned patrols when Starstar couldn't. Still, he always felt bad about it, so he at least tried to be awake on time.

Trying to change topic and lighten the mood, Starstar straightened. "By the way, you'll have your naming ceremony soon!"

"Huh?" Leafpaw blinked, ears perked and eyes wide, then relaxed into a smile. "I look forward to it."

_It's okay to be excited, you know,_ thought Starstar, but he did enjoy her more subtle, mature delight. It'd make her easier to name. As he began to ask what needed doing, the bushes rustled and Mousebile climbed through, his mouth full of frogs.

"Where have you been?" asked Leafpaw. The small warrior ignored her, walking to the fresh-kill pile to drop off his catches.

"What do you mean?" Starstar asked quietly, glancing to the she-cat. "Wasn't he out on patrol like the others?"

Leafpaw shook her head from side to side. "No, he was gone when we woke up."

"I guess he was out hunting..." Frogs indicated Marshclan, so at least they knew _where_ he'd been hunting. Starstar shook his fur, standing up. "Well, at least I can tell him!"

Before Leafpaw could ask what that meant, Starstar was already heading toward the young warrior. "Hey! Mousebile!"

Mousebile raised his hackles, and as Starstar stepped up next to him the smaller cat glared as though the leader had just threatened to steal prey right out of his mouth. "What."

"Well, uh..." His excitement faltered, but Starstar tried not to let the grumpy response get to him and put on his most cheerful face. "You'll get a new name!"

"Really? What'll be this time?" spat Mousebile, turning toward his leader. "Mousedung? Maybe Mousebrain?"

"Uh..." Starstar faltered once more, realizing that although he'd practiced the words for the ceremony, he'd not thought of an _actual name_ at all. "No, I..."

"Then what?!"

"Well..."

Oh, he had not been prepared for this kind of hostile confrontation. Starstar's mind was blank, and after a few seconds of getting no reply, Mousebile let out a huff. Sweeping up one of his frogs with one swift movement, the warrior turned and headed off into his den.

"Maybe Mousespark," suggested Leafpaw from across the clearing, only just loud enough for Starstar to hear. Hot with embarrassment over their conversation having been overheard, Starstar slumped and curled his tail over his paws. He did agree - for a cat that could spark (and win) any fight with ease, Mousespark would be a good name. In the event he couldn't recall it though, Starstar needed a backup plan. A word with 'mouse' that wasn't insulting.

Once he had both and could explain his plan, he was sure Mousebile would cheer up.

* * *

He was wrong.

The backup he ended up picking was 'Mousetail' - either Mousespark or Mousetail would be fine names. However, not wanting to cause a scene, Starstar hoped to speak with Mousebile somewhere private - on the next patrol they could team up, and that would be an ideal time to mention it.

Needless to say, that plan had some flaws in it. Namely, it assumed that Mousebile would want to patrol with him, or with anyone for that matter. For some reason, the small warrior was annoyed and snappish with _every_ cat who spoke to him, as though the entirety of the clan had done something wrong. (Not counting the kits, as Starstar overheard Chilltail muttering that Mousebile would lose his tail if he so much as raised his voice at one of them.)

As a result of this, suggesting a patrol was all but impossible, and the next morning Mousebile had again left camp before anyone else awoke. Starstar suggested a casual walk upon his return, but was shut down at once.

So, Starstar formulated a plan. He volunteered to guard the camp that night, his black fur blending into the darkness, and as the moon dragged across the sky he began to watch the warrior's den for any signs of movement. As dawn approached a gray-speckled pelt crept out of the den, and Starstar carefully tailed it out of camp.

"If you're heading out, let's go together," he spoke up as soon as Mousebile set paw on the Marshclan-Rockclan border, causing the smaller cat to jump a solid tail-length into the air. "We'll be more efficient that way."

After staring at Starstar for a few seconds, his short fur spiked out like a hedgehog's, Mousebile let out a quiet grumble and walked on without replying. The two walked in silence down the border, Starstar thinking over how to begin. He wanted to tell Mousebile the plan, but something was wrong beyond just the name and he needed to get it sorted out.

"What's the matter?" he settled on.

"You named me _Mousebile_ ," Mousebile answered, glancing to Starstar like he was dumb for even asking.

"Well - I know that!" protested Starstar. "But that's just _m_ _e_. You've been upset at everyone!"

"Well _they're_ supporting it!" yelled Mousebile, swiftly pivoting to face Starstar with his fur on end and startling him into a sit. "Do you know what that's like?! I asked everyone, and _nobody_ was on my side!"

"I- er-" Starstar hesitated, but didn't get further before the short warrior cut him off.

"I worked as hard as I could to prove myself capable," spat Mousebile, his thin tail whipping from side to side. "I fight and hunt and do my _best_ , and everyone decides that I should have a name that means nobody wants me around! How do you think that feels?!"

"Um... I don't-"

"You don't know!" Spinning away, Mousebile began to walk away with a sneer. Starstar didn't follow. "I was just as capable as Lizardpaw, no matter what Quickfoot said."

"Wait!" Starstar called, even as the gray-speckled pelt vanished into the trees. Mousebile didn't look back, leaving the leader alone. "I thought of new names! I can fix this..."

Starstar slumped, hanging his head. Oh, this was much worse than he had expected. He yearned for the guidance of his mother - she always knew the best thing to say, and would wrap around him as though he was a tiny kit even after he'd gained his warrior name.

As a substitute, he slowly walked back to camp, entered the warrior's den, and shoved his face into Sundrown's side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special mention to Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan for coming up with the name Mousespark!


	12. Names and Renames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Starstar plans way too much and holds a second ceremony.

"He said we don't care for him, that nobody wants him around!" Starstar finished. "And before I could answer he ran off, muttering about Quickfoot and Lizardpaw."

Sundrown nodded vaguely, the concern in his eyes somewhat obscured by the sleep he had yet to shake off. The tabby had sat patiently and listened as Starstar told him the morning's events over a shared piece of prey, and even if he had no advice, just talking to someone made Starstar feel a little bit better.

"What a mess..." the deputy mumbled. "Of course he thinks that. Ugh, I'll have to talk to him..."

Starstar blinked. "What do you mean?"

There was a moment's pause, then Sundrown blinked the sleep out of his eyes and gave Starstar a look. The leader faltered - he recognized that look as the 'did you not hear the instructions?' face he had received from mother and leader alike. "Wh-what?"

"Did you _not notice?"_

"No ...?"

Sundrown let out a suffering groan. "Okay. Mousebile is _s_ _mall_ , smaller than other cats. And Cobweb's not interested in fighting. So Quickfoot decided his only worthy kit was Lizardpaw."

Starstar was taken aback - he had always stayed out of Lizardpaw and Mousebile's rivalry, so even knowing their father had chosen to mentor Lizardpaw, the details had passed him by. "But- being small doesn't mean he's a bad warrior! He's one of our fiercest!"

"Yeah, well you can't really tell the deputy how to raise his kits."

The black leader frowned, dipping his head. That didn't sound right, deputy or not. "... If you become a bad parent, I'm going to tell you."

"I appreciate it," repled Sundrown, bending down to take a bite from the mouse they were supposed to be sharing. Neither cat had actually eaten much of it.

"But then, what do we do?" asked Starstar. "I don't know how to fix this!"

"Well," Sundrown started, but paused as the rustling of cats starting to wake. He lowered his voice. "Maybe focus on what you _can_ do, not how to do everything else."

Starstar wanted to ask further, but with the intrusion of other cats, it seemed that the conversation had to end. He looked down at his paws. What he could do? He could ...

"I'll hold the naming ceremony," he decided, glancing up to his deputy. "It'll prove things can change." Besides, Leafpaw and Greenkit had waited long enough. Whether Mousebile wanted to take part or not, it was time.

* * *

He spent the rest of the morning planning - if Leafpaw patrolled the River Path and Cobweb took the morning to train Moonpaw, both teams would be back around Sunhigh. Mousebile was already checking the Swamp's Edge, so Starstar and Sundrown could patrol the Sand Strip, accounting for most border. It would leave the largest and most demanding border, the bushes between Grassclan and Lakeclan, unattended for the day, but skipping one or two borders was usually fine.

Of course he could have sent Sundrown to the bush strip, but he needed someone to bounce his thoughts off of. "What do we do if Mousebile won't come to the ceremony?"

"I can ask Cobweb to make sure he does. They're siblings after all."

Nodding, Starstar moved on to the next question. "What do we do with Greenkit? I had planned to apprentice him to Mousebile, but as long as he's like this, well--" He stopped to gesture with a paw. "I'm worried something would happen."

"Leafpaw would make a good mentor," Sundrown pointed out without stopping, leaving Starstar to hurry after him. "She's the most mature of them all." As the leader caught up, he glanced toward him. "Are the names finished?"

"Yeah," Starstar confirmed. "Both have real and backup names."

"And you remember all the words?"

"I do."

Although it was justified, Starstar was reminded of his mother making sure he knew all the little steps of being a warrior and the warrior code, smoothing his fur in preparation for his own naming ceremony.

"... I wonder how she is," he murmured unknowingly.

Sundrown's ears twitched. "Hm?"

"The cats the two-legs took. I wonder how they are."

"I don't know," sighed Sundrown. "Only Starclan can say."

"Yeah."

The rest of the patrol's conversation was a bit more light-hearted, and they held a brief hunting competition on the way back which Sundrown won 2-0. Starstar was tempted to declare a race to make up for the loss, but decided against it and entered the camp alongside his friend.

As Sundrown broke off to put the new prey away, Starstar did a head-count. Leafpaw was back already, lying beside and talking to a worried Greenkit, which supported the idea of making her his mentor. Mousebile was sitting by the warrior's den, tense and lost in thought, but glancing to the new arrivals. When Starstar tried to give him a reassuring smile, the warrior's fur fluffed up and he moved into the den's entrance without a word.

It wasn't much longer until Cobweb and Moonpaw returned, the apprentice squealing as she ran to Greenkit and tumbled him over. "It's time, it's time! Did it start yet?"

"Obviously not," replied Chilltail as she left the nursery, sniffing over the kit for any training wounds. As Sundrown went to tell the exhausted Cobweb of the plans, Starstar missed a breath. Had Moonpaw heard of the upcoming naming ceremony? How?

Not that it mattered; everyone would know soon enough. A quick second head count to make sure he wasn't forgetting anyone, a brief wait for Sundrown to confirm things were ready and another to make sure he himself was ready, then Starstar carefully climbed up onto the Meeting Rock.

He sat there for a moment, skimming over the words in his head one last time, then raised his head and yowled. "May every cat that is old enough to hunt its own prey gather!"

The cats scattered around the camp looked up, and Sundrown jumped up beside Starstar on the rock. A respectable distance away, so as not to be mistaken for part of the ceremony, but able to close the distance in a heartbeat. Mousebile's light brown eyes peered from the warrior's den, and Chilltail returned to the nursery for a moment to usher out her kits.

Okay, Mousebile wasn't coming forth, but he couldn't sit there in silence either, so Starstar decided to start with Leafpaw while he waited for Cobweb to bring his brother out. Careful not to look at anyone and focusing solely on his practice, Starstar began. "There are cats who have not yet received their proper names, though they are much overdue. It is time to rectify that mistake!"

As he gave her a nod, Leafpaw stepped forward and sat tall in front of him. Her gaze was expectant yet composed, something much easier to handle than Mousebile's almost violent excitement. "Leafpaw, will you fight for your clan and uphold the warrior code?"

Come to think of it, he had forgotten entirely to ask this of any other cat. That was a bit unfair, but Leafpaw had already nodded and straightened her back. "I will."

"Well, then ..." Okay, where was he? Oh dear, he'd thrown himself off. Okay, ask about the code, and then- ah right. "Then, may Starclan hear my words. Your name ..."

Wait, which name had he decided on? Starstar stiffened - he'd mulled over so many names for Leafpaw, and when he was to say it, every option came forth at once. Leafwind, Leafcliff, Leafstone? Leafberry? Leafclaw? Leaf- uh- which option was it!?

Hurriedly, he changed into the backup. "From now on, your name will be Leafbare."

In the corner of his eye he saw Mousebile leave the clearing, Cobweb calling a few cheers for the new warrior as he ran after his brother. Starstar waited for the calls of 'Leafbare!' to finish before continuing, closing his eyes. "Leafbare, your new apprentice will -"

"Wait!"

Starstar opened his eyes to see Leafbare standing, her tail pointed straight up to call his attention, and was instantly thrown off anything he had planned. "Huh?"

"You mean to apprentice Greenkit, correct?" asked Leafbare, sitting once more and wrapping her tail around her paws.

"Yeah..."

The she-cat dipped her head lightly, breathing out, then met Starstar's gaze. "I would like to request that you let Greenkit remain a kit a while longer. He is not as excited to be a warrior as Moonpaw has been, and I feel it's unfair to force him into a warrior's life before he's the appropriate age."

"Oh..." Well, that did make sense, actually. Swept up in promoting everyone, Starstar hadn't even thought of Greenkit's wishes. "I... understand. Yeah." He nodded awkwardly. "Alright, then. Greenkit's not being apprenticed yet, if that's what he wishes."

Leafpaw's lips curled up with satisfaction, and he could see Greenkit slumping in relief. Moonpaw cried out in disappointment, but she seemed to be the only one voicing any disapproval.

Two cats taken care of, that just left Mousebile. As Starstar glanced to the camp's edge, the bushes tore open and Cobweb burst through, the dark cat almost tripping over his own paws. "Starstar!"

Jumping at the sudden call-out, Starstar stared at the gangly warrior, feeling a cold clump form in his chest. "What is it? Where's Mousebile?"

"Mousebile's run into Marshclan territory!"


End file.
